The most common type of braces that are used in cosmetic dentistry is traditional braces. Sometimes these metal braces are feared by teens and adults because they will change their appearance, but the professionals at our office in Las Vegas, NV will help you understand the process of getting braces and the benefits that they will have in your future.

What are Traditional Braces?

These braces are often made from metal such as nickel, which gives them a strong structure that can be tightened to shift your teeth into a better position than they are currently. When you have braces, a metal bracket will be bonded to the front of each of your teeth. These brackets serve as anchors that connect the archwire from tooth to tooth so that it can help realign your teeth. Elastic bands are also used to hold the archwires in place. Treatment with traditional braces typically lasts between 18 months and 24 months.

Benefits of Traditional Braces

Braces can correct your smile. It can help align teeth that are overcrowded and overlapping in your mouth. It can correct any spacing issues that you may have in your mouth, and it can help with other problems as well like chewing and breathing properly. Let's take a look at some of the other benefits that you will experience.

Once your teeth and jaw begins to come into alignment, you will notice that any problems that you experienced while chewing will become minimal. Problems chewing also tend to wear out your teeth more quickly, so being able to chew without difficulty will prevent excess wear.

Digestion starts in the mouth, so when your teeth cannot break down the food you eat properly, the digestive process takes longer. Fixing the alignment of your teeth with traditional braces will help restore proper digestion in your body.

Misaligned teeth can affect the way words sound when you say them. Your tongue will not be able to be positioned as it is needed to properly pronounce words with letters like t, d, and n. If you notice that you have a slight speech impediment that speech therapy has not corrected, then braces may help.

Each of our dentists are committed to providing great oral health to patients in Las Vegas, NV, but some dental care needs to be done by you. When you have crooked, overlapping, or excessively crowded teeth, cleaning them properly can prove to be a difficult task. When your teeth are not cleaned properly, it creates an environment that is ideal for bacterial growth. This means that gum disease, tooth decay, cavities, and gingivitis can all become issues with your oral health. Traditional braces can correct the positioning of your teeth and make it easier to keep them clean and healthy.

You can also help to create a dental injury from occurring by correcting the positioning of protruding front teeth. Most of the time when a tooth becomes chipped or damaged, it is because your teeth are not aligned properly.

Braces can also realign your jaw, which means that it can also fix the problems that a misaligned jaw can cause. If you are experiencing a lot of headaches, issues sleeping, or pain in your jaw, braces can help to solve the issue.

Traditional braces can become a fashion accessory for many teens and younger adults. The bracket can be a number of different shapes and colors that will make your mouth more interesting. In addition, you can also select a plethora of colors when you are selecting the elastic bands that you want as well.

Considerations

When you have braces, cleaning your teeth properly can be difficult. You will need to learn how to properly clean your teeth with braces in your mouth. You will need to relearn how to talk as well because positioning your mouth in the same way that you would normally talk may not be possible with braces.

Eating is also something that you will need to change with traditional braces. Hard foods can damage the braces, and sticky foods can get stuck in the brackets and the wires. Softer foods will be easier to eat, so hard foods like raw vegetables should be avoided. When you have braces in your mouth, you should also avoid foods like:

Pizza Crust

Nuts

Popcorn

Beef Jerky

Gum

Chewy Candy

Hard Candy

Ice

You will also need to avoid chewing inedible things like the tip of your pens or your fingernails because they can also cause damage to the braces. Any damage that occurs will extend the treatment that you require.

When you first get braces, they will most likely give you a bit of discomfort. Your teeth will have to adjust a bit when you first get them, though the pain will not last long and it can be eased with painkillers. Traditional braces tend to cause abrasions on the inside of your mouth, so your cheeks and your gums will need to get used to having the braces in your mouth.

Follow-Up Care

When your teeth are properly aligned, a dental specialist at our Las Vegas location will fit you with a retainer. Braces are designed to move your teeth, which means that the bones around them currently will be repositioned as well. The braces hold your teeth in place, but once they are removed, they can begin to shift back into their previous place. The best way to ensure that your teeth stay in their new position is to wear a retainer for at least the first 12 months, 24/7 and then wear them at nights after your braces have been removed.